Anselm and Scripture: The Bible in the Thought of Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm of Canterbury’s monastic world was woven from scriptural material, yet the Bible’s selective presence (and absence) in his writings remains a puzzle. In Anselm’s program of ‘faith seeking understanding’, where does scripture stand? This volume explores the role of scriptural ‘signa’ (clusters of biblical words and images) in Anselm’s theology. Biblical themes drawn from his monastic, liturgical, and devotional life are traced across his writings, revealing new perspectives on his depictions of sin, salvation, and the search for God. Rachel Cresswell argues that scriptural ‘signa’ were gathering-places where Anselm’s monastic readers could discern the harmony between the philosophical truths of the classroom and the truths known affectively in prayer. Her study offers a new framework for analysing scripture’s presence in Anselm’s writings and uncovers scripture’s place at the heart of his intellectual enterprise.